7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. (Psalm 19)
72 The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver. (Psalm 119)
7 so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter 1, NRSV)
Peter draws other parallels between our faith and gold -- both are "tested by fire." He goes on to make another comparison to gold:
18 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. (1 Peter 1, NRSV)
Job 28
This chapter is a poem praising God's wisdom. It begins by talking about gold and other precious materials found in the earth:
1 Surely there is a mine for silver,
and a place for gold to be refined.
2 Iron is taken out of the earth,
and copper is smelted from ore.
3 Miners put an end to darkness,
and search out to the farthest bound
the ore in gloom and deep darkness. (Job 28, NRSV)
In other words, humans go to great lengths to search for worldly treasure. But will they go to such lengths to find something of even greater worth?
12 12 But where shall wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
13 Mortals do not know the way to it,
and it is not found in the land of the living.
14 The deep says, ‘It is not in me,’
and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
15 It cannot be gotten for gold,
and silver cannot be weighed out as its price.
16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
in precious onyx or sapphire.
17 Gold and glass cannot equal it,
nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
18 No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal;
the price of wisdom is above pearls. (Job 28, NRSV)
When we are ready to value God's wisdom over all other things, we will be ready to seek this heavenly treasure:
20
20 Where then does wisdom come from?
And where is the place of understanding?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of all living,
and concealed from the birds of the air.
22 Abaddon and Death say,
‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’
23 God understands the way to it,
and he knows its place.
24 For he looks to the ends of the earth,
and sees everything under the heavens.
25 When he gave to the wind its weight,
and apportioned out the waters by measure;
26 when he made a decree for the rain,
and a way for the thunderbolt;
27 then he saw it and declared it;
he established it, and searched it out.
28 And he said to humankind,
‘Truly, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;
and to depart from evil is understanding.' (Job 28, NRSV)
I love the ending to this poem. Wisdom and understanding are hidden and concealed for our mortal eyes, perhaps obscured by the glint of gold. The creator of all things established wisdom from the beginning to help us overcome death and chaos. (Abaddon is a name for a place of destruction and the archangel of the abyss.)
The pattern relating gold and the two way takes shape in this poem -- when we love God and His ways more than gold, we will give away our gold to find this hidden wisdom. On the contrary, when we love gold more than God we will attempt in vain to adorn ourselves in gold in the futile that we will increase our value thereby. In the next post, we'll take a closer look at this ancient wisdom as it appears in the Old Testament and Book of Moses.